Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy for leishmaniasis: 13 years’ experience at a large UK infectious diseases centre

Abstract

Background: Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease that is imported by travellers returning to the UK. Given the prolonged therapy required, outpatient treatment has been proven to be cost-effective and safe. Methods: We describe cases of leishmaniasis treated through outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) over a 13-y period (March 2006–September 2018) at a large teaching hospital. Results: A total of 26 episodes of leishmaniasis were treated successfully, with a mean saving of 14.2 bed-days/episode. Sodium stibogluconate was the most used antileishmanial (92%). Conclusions: Treatment of chronic infections via OPAT is now commonplace and this approach may be considered for other imported infectious diseases.